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Comcasts X1 Service or Platform may soon be everywhere, even outside of Comcast's Cable Networks

The X1 platform is actually where internet and TV meet, for Comcast, so it’s not surprising that the company would be so focused on it.Recently Matthew Strauss Comcast person in charge of "Video & Entertainment Services" for Comcast discussed a series of questions on Comcast's competition and their X1 platform. His comments were captured in part by The Consumerist

That platform is actually where internet and TV meet, for Comcast, so it’s not surprising that the company would be so focused on it....​“We authenticate over 20 devices today,” Strauss said, referring to various ways outside of your traditional TV that you can login to access the video content that you’ve paid Comcast for, whether it’s Comcast itself, or streaming services from HBO and others.“Securely” and its cousin, “authenticated,” are the key for Comcast. They want content providers who are worried about piracy to keep paying them, and they want customers paying them too.

The point Struss is making is that people watch "TV" today on a lot of different platforms other than the standard TV set we all know and love. The key economic and technical challenge in the evolving media world is a fundamental consideration for Comcast and content providers.

“Securely” and its cousin, “authenticated,” are the key for Comcast. They want content providers who are worried about piracy to keep paying them, and they want customers paying them too.​Those also tie in to part of why Comcast has been the fastest and most ardent voice objecting to the FCC’s now-shelved set-top box alternative proposal: the X1 is already most of the way there, and for all the times Strauss called cable a “competitive landscape,” Comcast probably wants to stave off competition as much as possible. Making all content available on everyone’s hardware would interfere with the X1 in a big way.​What cable consumers may not know — because they only have the option of one cable carrier in their area — is that Comcast actually licenses the X1 platform out to other cable providers. For instance, Cox Communications uses it in their entire footprint. This sort of resource sharing gives lie to the oft-repeated idea (at least by the cable industry) that there is strong “competition” among landline cable companies.

Now there is something to note here. Comcast's X1 Service may or may not be the final solution to having access to all the myriad of content resources out there. But at this point in time, it is the leader in providing access to many if not all resources.

Not only can you access HBO and Showtime which have traditionally been cable based platforms, you can now access Netflicks and Hulu which it partially owns. These platforms were previously independent properties outside the typical cable package. Now they are being integrated and accessible via X1 service.

You will note that Comcast's TV advertising is increasingly focused on the X1 platform for good reason. It is their #1 selling point today and will likely remain so for a while. If you are interested in accessing Comcasts X1 Service in the Minneapolis St Paul Twin Cities area, contact us at The Connected Home.

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